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The Historical Significance of Taiwan’s Political Development in the 1950s &1960s: An Investigation under the Cold War Framework

  • 중앙사론
  • 2013, (38), pp.367-397
  • Publisher : Institute for Historical Studies at Chung-Ang University
  • Research Area : Humanities > History

薛化元 1

1臺灣 國立政治大學

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The Cold War was the most important outer factor, which impacted on the political development of Taiwan during the 1950s and 1960s. This study firstly aims to examine, in light of the U.S. strategic thinking of Containment policy stemming from Trumanism, how the Republic of China government, supported by the U.S, diplomatic policy, while proclaiming democracy and freedom, actually established a party‐state system and thereby carried out an authoritarian dictatorship. Secondly, this study tries to reevaluate the current interpretations of Taiwan’s political development from 1950s to 1960s. According to the popular argument, the KMT government in Taiwan was noted by its strong military rule in the 1950s, which became lessened in the 1960s. However, since the late 1950s, there were signs showing that the KMT government became more oppressive politically and socially. For example, in the level of Taiwanese provincial administration, three military generals were successively appointed to be the Chairperson of provincial administration, violating the original way of none military personnel appointment. By the same token, the ad hoc Provincial Assembly under the “abnormal” system, without any institutional reforms, was “normalized” to be the formal Provincial Assembly. In general, the KMT government became more powerful in the 1960s. The media check and the development and organization of anti‐government powers were all weakened and in decline. As a result, Taiwan’s political development became regressive.

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